ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · branch · shower · rush · saw · current · club · kick

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. shower — rain
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. shower — to wash
  8. current — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. current — happening now
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. saw — the tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — hurry
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com